KANSAS CITY -- In the wake of stories about supposed acrimony, bitter
jealousy and backstabbing, Joe Montana and Steve Young settled things on
the football field yesterday.

What emerged was a spellbinding, hard-hitting NFL game, won by the Kansas
City Chiefs, 24-17, on the new natural grass at Arrowhead Stadium.

The quarterbacks shook hands beforehand, wished each other luck, and proceeded
with the duel. In anticipation, the second-largest crowd in Chiefs franchise
history, 79,907, jammed the roads to the stadium three hours before game
time.

Montana, who led the 49ers to four Super Bowl wins before going to the Chiefs
last season, looked in vintage form with passes ranging from lobs to bullets,
completing 19-of-31 for 194 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

If Jerry Rice had been on his side, who knows how the stats might've been
inflated? Willie Davis led seven Chiefs receivers with 59 yards receiving,
but he let two possible TD passes of 30-plus yards slip through his fingers.

"In a lot of ways, the master has more to teach the student,"
said Young, Montana's understudy with the 49ers before taking over the starting
role.

Young went 24-for-34 for 271 yards and a TD, but turnovers were fatal for
San Francisco (1-1). Under siege from a defense led by fleet linebacker
Derrick Thomas, Young lost one fumble and threw two interceptions -- mistakes
sure to renew debate about his performance in big games. A fourth turnover,
a fumble by John Taylor, killed what could have been agame-tying, or winning,
drive for San Francisco.

"In a game of this nature, it's not an easy thing to be the guy on
the short end," said Montana, whose team is off to a 2-0 start. "But
just look at (Young's) passing and his winning record. He's having a great
career with them. I know exactly how he feels."

With two starting offensive linemen out because of injuries and another
hurt in the first half, Young became a sitting duck for Thomas (three sacks,
safety) and defensive end Neil Smith. Young emerged with a strained knee,
the extent of damage to be determined today. In evidently worse shape is
49ers defensive end Richard Dent, carted away in the fourth quarter with
a knee injury.
Meantime, Montana, in his 16th season, dodged trouble as though propelled
by 21-year-old legs.

"It was strange to learn the game from someone -- literally -- and
then to see him on the other side of the field," Young said. "But
that wasn't a negative thing. It was just emotional. Both teams laid everything
on the line."

The Chiefs scored first, Montana lofting a play-action pass to center/occasional
tight end Joe Valerio on fourth-and-goal from the 1. San Francisco came
back with consecutive TDs, for a 14-7 lead.

Urged by the jet-engine-like decibels pouring from the stands, the Chiefs
defense began asserting itself. Thomas sacked Young in the end zone from
the blind side, cutting the margin to 14-9 in the second quarter.

From that point, consecutive San Francisco series ended like this: missed
field goal from 42 yards, punt, interception, interception, fumble.

Montana led consecutive TD drives to start the second half, completing 5-of-7
passes for 53 yards.

Keith Cash caught an 8-yard TD pass to cap an eight-play, 57-yard drive
and J.J. Birden got wide open for a two-point conversion pass. After Charles
Mincy returned an interception 31 yards to the San Francisco 17, Marcus
Allen bulled over from the 4 for what proved the winning margin.

"I compared (beating San Francisco) to competing against my neighbor
growing up," Montana said. "He was my best friend. It was never
more exciting than to beat him, because he knew me as well as I knew him."